Elon Musk finally just announced when Tesla Model 3 deliveries will begin

Tesla is already a household name, and the company’s Model S sports sedan and Model X crossover are highly sought-after vehicles that represent the future of electric transportation, but it’s the Model 3 that could truly change the automotive landscape forever. The company’s first pitch to the mass market, the Tesla Model 3 is the most affordable car the company has produced by a mile, and the public has been waiting for it to hit the pavement ever since its debut over a year ago. Now, Elon Musk has revealed when the first Model 3s will actually be delivered, and it’s right around the corner.

Musk, taking to Twitter as he’s known to do, revealed that the first batch of Model 3 vehicles will be given to buyers on July 28th. The company is holding a “handover party” for the occasion, but the first run of the new vehicles is a fairly small number; just 30 of the cars will be ready by the end of July.

Handover party for first 30 customer Model 3's on the 28th! Production grows exponentially, so Aug should be 100 cars and Sept above 1500.

However, as Musk notes, production of the Model 3 is increasing “exponentially,” and in August there will be 100 of them ready for buyers, then 1,500 by September, and so on. “Looks like we can reach 20,000 Model 3 cars per month in Dec,” Musk said.

Looking farther ahead, Tesla is hoping to have as many as 500,000 Model 3 vehicles produced per year by 2018, and a full one million by 2020. That is, of course, if demand matches the company’s expectations. Tesla has revealed that it received nearly a half million pre-orders for the car already, which is a pretty good sign that it’s on track to become the most popular consumer-level electric vehicle on the planet.